Motor-driven toy vehicle



Dec. 21, 1954 H MULLER 2,697,306

MOTOR-DRIVEN TOY VEHICLE Filed April 16, 1951 4 sheets-sheet 1 F/G. I

INVENOR FG 4 HE//VR/CH MULLER Dec. 21, 1954 H. MULLER MOTOR-DRIVEN TOY VEHICLE Filed April 16, 1951 qlll I lz, 22, n? 22 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR HEM/RICH MULLER.

BY l i glid w /grw' ATTORNEYS Dec. 21, 1954 H. MULLER MoToR-DRvEN Toy VEHICLE 4 Shets-Sheet 3 Filed April 16, 1951 INVENTOR HE/NR/CH MULLER l Lw w A ORNEYG Dec. 21, 1954 H. MULLER 2,697,306

MOTOR-DRIVEN TOY VEHICLE Filed April 16, V1951 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 INVENTOR HEY/VR/CH MULLER ATTORNEYS United States Patent MOTOR-DRIVEN TOY VEHICLE Heinrich Mller, Numberg, Germany Application April 16, 1951, Serial No. 221,148 Claims priority, application Germany November 11, 1950 6 Claims. (Cl. 46-206) The invention relates to a toy vehicle such as toy motor cars, toy motor cycles and the like provided with shifting means for speed changing or for changing the driving direction or both for speed changing as well as for changing the driving direction, and intends increasing the playing and teaching effect by indicating and thereby explaining the speed change and the appertaining traveling speed to the playing child.

According to the invention, therefore, a toy vehicle is furnished with a tachometer-like speed indicating device provided with an adjustable pointer, preferably also with marks designating idle or astern running, said indicating device being adjustable in dependency of the shifting means for speed changing and/or for changing the driving direction. This indicating device is provided with marks designating the adjusted speeds. Besides, it comprises preferably indications of suitably miles per hour relating to the speeds corresponding to the respective adjustment with the full scale motor car. The indicatiiig device may be arranged on an imitation of the instrument board of a toy motor car or on the handle bai' imitation of a toy motor cycle.

Another feature of the invention consists therein that a leverage may be controlled by the hand shifting lever serving to actuate the normal shifting means, said leverage gradually turning the shaft of the indicating device corresponding to the adjustment of the shifting lever, such as by a rack and pinion gear, therebyadjusting the pointer to the respective speed mark as the case may be.

According to another favourable feature of the invention a leverage is used consisting of two rocking levers pivotally connected with each other, the one of which may be moved by the hand shifting lever rotatable around the shaft of the steering wheel ora shaft arranged near the said shaft, while the other engages the rack meshing with a pinion attached to the shaft of the pointer. The rack moves to and fro and simultaneously oscillates whereby said rack or preferably its edge opposite the toothing slides along a guiding element such as a roller.

The invention has different important advantages,'it facilitates the course of play because it can no longer happen that erroneously the playing child shifts incorrectly as it may be seen at a glance which speed is desired. Up to now, toy vehicles had the disadvantage that after a certain time of playing the child vdid not know what speed was adjusted and that the child must ascertain the new shifting position by trying. Furthermore the invention has the advantage that comprehension is inspired bv the child during playing such that to each gear a certain normal speed appertains which must be obtained by a good driver. Even by the fact that indications relating to the speed in miles Der hour as from regulations in addition to the speed indications on the dial of the indication device the child becomes attentive to the questions of the travelling speed which could not happen up to now when playing.

The drawing shows embodiments of matically and by way of example.

Fig. l is a longitudinal section through a toy motor car,

Fig. 2 is a plan view of Fig. 1 the casing of the toy being removed.

Fig. 3 is a front view of the wall supporting the shaft of the steering wheel.

Fig. 4 is a similar front view elements.

Fig. 5 is a rear view of this wall provided with the the invention sche but showing certain other ICC indicating means, the shifting lever being adjusted to astern running,

Fig. 6 is a similar rear view, the shifting lever being adjusted to starting gear ahead running,

Fig. 7 is a similar rear View, the shifting lever being adjusted to second gear,

Fig. 8 shows a similar rear view, being adjusted to third gear,

Fig. 9 is a front view of the supporting wall of another embodiment,

Fig. 10 is a side View of Fig. 9.

Fig. 11 is a similar front view as shown in Fig. 9 the hand shifting lever being adjusted to starting gear ahead running,

Fig. 12 is another side view the toothed wheel adjusting lever being adjusted to ahead running,

Fig. 13 is a front view, the hand shifting lever being adjusted to second gear,

Fig. 14 is a side view of the shaft of the steering wheel provided with a guiding sleeve,

Fig. 15 is a front View of Fig. 14,

Fig. 16 is a side view of the guiding sleeve in an enlarged scale.

Fig. 17 s a plan view of the guiding sleeve in an enlarged scale.

Fig. 18 is a front view of the supporting wall the hand shifting lever being adjusted to third gear,

Fig. 19 is a plan view of the guiding sleeve with cam tracks.

Fig. 20 is a front View of Fig. 19 in an enlarged scale,

Fig. 21 is a side View of Fig. 20,

Fig. 22 is a plan view of Fig. 2l in a smaller scale,

Fig. 23 is a longitudinal section through a toy motor cycle.

Fig. 24 is a plan view of Fig. 3, the upper portion of the casing being removed and Fig. 25 is a view of the handle bar, seen from the seat of the driver.

The hand shifting lever 1 provided with a guiding sleeve 2 is attached to the shaft 3 of the steering wheel 4, that is, it may be handled within the reach of the steering Wheel 4. The shaft 3 is solidly supported on the one hand by the sleeve 2 which is itself rotatably supported by the wall 5, and, on the other hand, by a bearing 6.

The guiding sleeve 2 is shiftable on the shaft 3 in the aXial direction as well as rotatable in opposite directions. The hand shifting lever 1 is formed like a handle and is radially arranged with respect to the shaft.

`According to the embodiment shown in Figs. 1 to 8 and 19-22 a lever 8 is pivoted to the guiding sleeve by the eccentrically arranged pivot 7, the other end of said lever being pivotally connected with an arm 10 by means of a pivot 12. The arm 10 is pivoted to a fixed part of the vehicle at 11. The shaft of the steering wheel passes through the lever arm 8 which, for this purpose, is provided with an elongated opening 9. To the free end of the arm 10 the regulator pendulum 14 is rockably attached by means of a pivot 13, said pendulum coacting by means of its slot 16 with a regulator crank 15 in a manner known per se. The more the pendulum 14 engages into the region in which the crank 15 moves the'slower the driving spring motor runs down while the highest running down speed results if the pendulum 14 does not engage the crank 15 at all. j

To the end of the arm 10 a rack 27 is pivoted by means of the pivot 26, said rack meshing with a pinion 28 fixed to a shaft 29. During its to and fro and simultaneously rocking movement the rack 27 is guided by a guiding member which may consist of a roller 30. At the other the shifting lever `side of the supporting wall pointer 31 of an indicating device 32 is attached to the shaft 29, .said device being provided with marks indicating the different gears for idle running, the gear for astern running, and ahead corresponds approximately to the traveling velocity with which a full scale original motor car would run if the respective gear were selected.

As already mentioned the guiding sleeve 2 also operates the rods for shifting from ahead running to astern running and vice versa, and for adjusting idle running. For this purpose a rocking lever 20 is provided with a cam 21 coacting with two cam tracks 17 and 18 provided on the guiding sleeve 2. These tracks are separated from `each other by a radially projecting web 19 (Figs. 19, 20) so that an undesired sliding over of the cam 21 from one track to the other is positively prevented. The web 19, however, is interrupted near about its middle so that the cam 21 may pass through the. gap 19 formed thereby so that said cam may be brought from the one cam track to the other. For this purpose it is only necessary to shift the guiding sleeve 2 carrying the cam tracks in its axial direction. The mentioned gap is arranged suchwise that longitudinal shifting of the sleeve 2 is only possible when adjusted to idle running.

If the rocking lever 20 which is inuenced by a return spring 24 is rocked downwardly it presses onto the front end of a lever 35 pivoted to the frame of the vehicle by means of the bolt 35a. The lever 35 thereby lowers the arm 37 of the wheel carrier 36 by engaging its forwardly bent over portion. The arm 37 is returned to its initial position by a spring 38. Consequently, corresponding to the position of the rocking lever 20 the toothed wheel 43 meshes with the gear wheel 44 (Fig. l0) so that the vchicle runs rearwardly or the toothed wheel 45 engages the toothed wheel 46 (Fig. l2) so that the, vehicle runs forwardly. In the intermediate position, that is, if neither the wheel 4.3 nor the wheel 45 meshes with its corresponding gear wheel the idle running yposition has been seleeted. The return spring 24 simultaneously secures returning of the rocking lever 20 into its upper initial position and holds the cam 21 always in sliding contact with the cam tracks 17, 18 even if the toothed wheels 43, 44 or 45, 45 respectively should not disengage automatically.

The cam tracks 17, 1S (Fig. 19) are suitably provided with grooves 22 checking the guiding sleeve 2 and the rocking lever 211 in the adjusted position. The cam 21 of the rocking lever 20 is pressed into these grooves by the action of the spring 24. Besides, abutments 23 (Fig. 20) are provided engaging the cam 21 of the rocking lever Ztiif the guiding sleeve 2 rotates to and fro thereby limiting the rocking movement of the hand shifting lever 1.

In the embodiment according to Figs. 1 to 8 and 19 to 22 respectively the position L of the hand shifting lever 1 shown in Fig. 3 corresponds to the idle running position. In this position the running down of the spring motor is retarded by the pendulum in the highest degree. If the hand shifting lever 1 is brought into the position R according to Fig. the toothed wheels 43 and 44 mesh with each other (Fig. as soon as the rocking lever 20 is moved byv the respective cam track., Simultaneously the arm 10 is rocked that is the position of the pendulum 14 is changed so that they spring motor runs down somewhat faster. Besides, the rack 27 is shifted thereby causing the pointer 31 to advance from O to R. When shifting to the starting ahead gear the hand shifting lever 1 must pass the idle running position (Fig. 4). The corresponding movement of the rocking lever 29 causes the engagement of the wheels 45 and 46 (Fig. 10). placed by the arm 10 so that the spring motor runs down somewhat faster. The pointer 31 has been moved by the rack 27 from R to I. For shifting to the second gear the hand shifting lever 1 is irst brought into the idle running position L and is then axially shifted in the sleeve 2 on the shaft 3 the cam 21 hereby passing the gap of the leg 19 and being caused to coact with the other camv track 17. If after the longitudinal movement the rhand shifting lever 1 is rocked into the position II according to Fig. 7 the second ahead gear is adjusted, the engagement of the wheels 45, 46 being maintained, while the pendulum 14 releases the crank 15 still further so that the spring'motor may run down still faster. Simultaneously the pointer 31 has moved froml to IL When adjusting the third ahead gear according toy Fig. 8 the hand shifting lever 1 is to be moved again over the idle running position to the other side around the shaft 3, whereby the pendulum 14 entirely releasesA the. crank thereby adjusting the fastest running down of the spring motor and therefore the highest travelingveloity.

The pointer 31 has the position indicated'by IIL Further the regulating pendulum 14 is dis- For the purpose that the idle running position of the guiding sleeve 2 that is of the hand shifting lever 1 becomes quickly visible and the playing child is enabled to quickly adjust the position of the guiding sleeve for longitudinal shifting it is recommended to provide marks 39, 49, and 41 (Fig. 2l) on the guiding sleeve 2 and a counter mark 42 on the supporting wall 5. Only if these marks align the idle running position and therefore the possibility to longitudinally shift the sleeve 2 is given.

The embodiment according to Figs. 9-18 diifers from the embodiment described above preferably whereby the H-like guiding of they shifting lever 1 and its guiding sleeve 2 provides another controlling means. In this case the sleeve 2 is provided with av H-like recess or opening 2S engaged by a pin 24 (Fig. 9) being under the action of a spring 24 and arranged on the supporting wall 5. The cam 21 of the rocking lever 2t) may jump into recesses 22 of the guiding sleeve 2. The astern running and the idle running are controlled by a nose 33 (Fig. 16) coacting with the cam 21 when the sleeve 2 is correspondingly shifted in the longitudinal direction.

While in the embodiment described before the hand shifting lever has an inclined position in the idle running position (Fig. 3) it may also be arranged nearly vertgic'xlsly as to be seen in the embodiment shown in Figs.

Of course the invention may also be used if the spring motor is not controlled by a pendulum but in any other way, such as by toothed gears, a friction gear or the like. In this. case the arm 10 of the leverage brakes or releases the respective. controlling device.

The invention is not restricted to toy motor cars but may also be employed in connection with toy motor cycles as illustrated in Figs. 23 to 25 in which only the parts essential for the drive are fully shown by sake of clearness.

The regulator`47 adjusting the running down of the spring motor and therewith the traveling velocity may be adjusted by means of a rocking arm 48 pivoted to a rack 49 meshing with a pinion 5t). To the shaft of this pinion a bevel wheel 51 is fixed driving the counter-wheel 52 the axle 53 of which bears the pointer 54 of the indicating device 55 arranged preferably on the handle bar 56, suitably on the controlling head or, with special advantage, on the rear side of the search light casing 57.

In the embodiment illustrated the pinion may be rotated by the shaft 59 to which it is tixed and which may be rotated in opposite direction by means of the handle 58. The rotation of the pinion 5d is transmitted, on the one hand, to the dial 54 over the bevel gearing 51 and, on the other hand, to the regulator 47 over the rack 49.

The rocking lever 48 may also be controlled by a hand shifting lever which may be a handle of the handle bar' 56 and may be formed as a rotatable handle 58 of the handle bar as to be seen from the embodiment shown in the drawings. The rotation of this handle may be transmitted in any suitable way to the rocking lever 48, such as by an intermediate rod engaging the rocking lever and being influenced by an arm radially projecting from the axis 59 of the rotatable handle. The movement of the hand shifting lever may also be transmitted to the rocking lever 48 by a Bowden-drawn cord or in any other suitable manner. Instead of a rack a spindle provided with a nut may be used, if desired, the nut being attached to the rocking lever. However it is also possible to transmit the rotation of the axis 59 of the handle to the rocking lever 48 by means of a crank rod the one end of which being connected with the mentioned lever and the other end with the pinion.

In each case the hand of the indicating device is adjusted in dependency of thev speed adjusting.

Having thus particularly described the nature of my invention and the manner in what the same is to be performed, what I wish to have covered by Letters Patent l. A toy vehicle adapted to be driven by a motor comprising inv combination with the body of the toy vehicle a shifting means adapted to adjust the traveling velocity and the traveling direction; an indicating device having the outer appearance of a tachometer arranged on the body of the toy vehicle and provided with marks indicating the traveling speeds and traveling directions, a pointer,A pivotally mounted on said devicev and being adapted to be adjusted to any of said marks, a shaft bearing said pointer, a hand operated shifting lever rotatably supported by the body of the vehicle to adjust the said shifting means, a shaft arranged in the body of the vehicle to which said shifting lever is attached, a sleeve supported by the last mentioned shaft, two rocking levers pivotally connected with each other the one of which being eccentrically pivoted to said sleeve, and a rack and pinion gear the rack of which being engaged by the other of said rocking levers and the pinion being coupled with the said shaft of the pointer and adapted to turn it in correspondence with the movement of said shifting lever.

2. A toy vehicle adapted to be driven by a motor comprising in combination with the body of the toy vehicle a shifting means adapted to adjust the traveling velocity and the traveling direction; an indicating device having the outer appearance of a tachometer arranged on the body of the toy vehicle and provided with marks indicating the traveling speeds and traveling directions, a pointer pivotally mounted on said device and being adapted to be adjusted to any of said marks, a shaft bearing said pointer, a hand operated shifting lever rotatably supported by the body of the vehicle to adjust the said shifting means, two rocking levers pivotally connected with each other, the one of which being connected with, and moved by said shifting lever, and a rack and pinion gear the rack of which being pivoted to the one end of the other of said rocking levers and the pinion being coupled with the said shaft of the pointer and adapted to turn it in correspondence with the movement of said shifting lever, the other end of said other rocking lever being pivoted to the body of the vehicle and the pivoted connection of said rocking levers being provided between the pivotal connections of the said other rocking lever with the rack and the body of the vehicle respectively.

3. In a motor driven toy vehicle with means for changing the velocity of travel by a hand operated shifting means, in combination, an indicating device having the appearance of a tachometer provided with marks indicating the traveling speeds and a shaft having a pointer disposed to move over indicating marks on the tachometer on the front end and a toothed wheel on the rear end, and means operatively connected with said shifting means and the toothed wheel to operate the pointer upon operation of the shifting means.

4. In a motor driven toy vehicle with means for changing the velocity and the direction of travel by a hand operated shifting means, in combination, an indicating device having the appearance of a tachometer arranged on a body of the vehicle and provided with marks indieating the traveling speeds and the traveling direction, and a shaft with a pointer disposed to move over indicating marks on the tachometer on one end and a toothed Wheel on the other end, and means including a toothed rack operatively connected with said shifting means and the toothed wheel to operate the pointer'upon operation of the shifting means due to a movement of the toothed rack meshing with the toothed wheel.

5. In a toy motor cycle having a driving motor, a rotatable handle bar, and means for changing the speed of the motor, in combination, an indicating device having the appearance of a tachometer mounted adjacent the rotatable handle bar of the motor cycle and provided with marks indicating the traveling speed, a shaft having a pointer on the front end movable over the said marks and a bevel gear on its rear end, a second bevel gear secured on the rotatable handle bar and meshing with the first-mentioned bevel gear to operatively connect the pointer with the rotatable handle bar, and means on the rotatable handle bar operatively connected with the speed changing means for adjusting said speed changing means in response to the rotation of the rotatable handle bar.

6. In a toy motor cycle having a casing, a driving motor, a rotatable handle bar, and means for changing the speed of the motor, in combination, an indicating device having the appearance of a tachometer arranged adjacent the casing for the motor cycle and provided with marks indicating the traveling speed and a shaft having a pointer on its front end movable over the said marks and a bevel gear on its rear end, a second bevel gear secured on the handle bar to operatively connect the pointer with the handle bar, a pinion secured on said rotatable handle bar to be rotatable therewith, and a toothed rack in engagement with said pinion and pivotally connected to the speed regulator, the rotation of the rotatable handle bar causing simultaneous operation of the pointer and the speed changing means.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name l Date 2,257,064 Muller Sept. 23, 1941 2,272,988 Williams Feb. 10, 1942 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 616,712 France Oct. 30, 1926 

